Academic praises Kim Jong-Un's North Korea during visit

A CONTROVERSIAL Sydney University lecturer who backed Syria's murderous al-Assad regime has travelled to Pyongyang and pledged "solidarity" with the North Korean dictatorship against "aggression" from the West.

Journalist Eva Bartlett, who writes for Moscow's propaganda outfit Russia Today, joined Anderson on the trip

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the one-week trip was an "embarrassment" to "academia".

"It's one thing to foster debate at university but you cross the line when you back an evil dictatorship that murders its citizens and is posing an increasing threat to global security," he told The Daily Telegraph.

"Mr Anderson has shown time and time again his extreme views should not be given a platform to shape the minds of students."